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Clark Kent
Clark Kent, born with the Kryptonian name Kal-El, is an incredibly powerful alien superhero of the House of El, son of Jor-El and Lara Van-El, grandson of Seg-El, adopted son of Jonathan and Martha Kent, a journalist of the Daily Planet, and one of the extremely few survivors of the destruction of Krypton. In addition, Kal-El was the first Kryptonian of natural birth in centuries and the host of the Growth Codex. When Kal-El's father, Jor-El, realized that Krypton was doomed, he and his wife Lara sent their son to Earth, where he would be found by Jonathan and Martha Kent. Using his powers, he defends the people of Metropolis from threats, such as the terraforming attempted by the Kryptonian war criminal General Zod, using the moniker Superman. Two years later, Superman would grow increasingly wary of the vigilante Batman, and was ultimately forced into a fight with the Dark Knight by a new and greater enemy, this time, the malevolent super genius Lex Luthor. However, the two of them would ultimately settle their differences and team up with Wonder Woman, together managing to take down the unleashed monster Doomsday, though Superman himself was seemingly killed in the process by the dying monster. Earth's greatest hero was honorably buried in Heroes Park, with the world mourning his passing, and his heroic sacrifice posthumously inspiring both Batman and Wonder Woman to begin establishing the valiant Justice League, in order to battle any future threats to the world. Amanda Waller cites the emergence of Superman as the reason why the government needs to use metahumans before they are used against the government, as there is no way to predict the allegiances of "the next Superman". Thus, Superman is, in a way, indirectly posthumously responsible for the formation of not only the Justice League, but also the Suicide Squad. Biography Birth and Journey to Earth Kal-El was born on February 29, 1980 on the faraway planet Krypton to Jor-El, a scientist in the Kryptonian Thinker Guild, and his wife Lara Van-El in the wake of a military coup d’état led by his father's lifelong friend and commander in the Kryptonian Warrior Guild, General Dru-Zod. Kal-El was the first naturally born Kryptonian child on the planet in centuries, and thus not appointed into any of the predetermined Kryptonian Guilds. Foreseeing that the planet was about to explode, his father dispatched him in a small starship to carry him to safety, sending him to Earth, located in Sector 2814 of the galaxy, many light years away from Krypton. Jor-El knew of a colonial settler ship sent millennia ago, where his son would grow up with astonishing powers, while looking identical to the planet's population. Right before bidding his son farewell, Jor-El bonded the genetic information within Krypton's Growth Codex to the cell's of Kal-El's body, after which he finally placed a Command Key into the starship, so that Kal-El might be able to one day meet and converse with his father's AI. Just as Jor-El was about to launch the ship, however, General Zod barged into the Citadel with his Sword of Rao and engaged his former friend in a fierce duel, desperate to retrieve the Codex and abort the launch. Lara, however, succeeded in launching the starship, inducing an enraged Zod to stab her husband, lethally injuring and killing him. Determined to get the Codex at any cost, Zod ordered a loyal Sword of Rao pilot to shoot Kal-El's starship down, but at that moment, the pilot himself was shot down by a starship of the Sapphire Guards. This gave just enough time for the Phantom Drive of Kal-El's ship to activate, opening a portal through the Phantom Zone to Earth's solar system through which the starship disappeared, just as Zod and his loyalists were outnumbered and forced to surrender to the Sapphire Guards. Early Life The starship emerged near to the gas giant planet Saturn, and promptly made its way to Earth, flying right by the Moon in the process. It landed undetected in the rural town of Smallville, Kansas, where it was found by Jonathan Kent, a local farmer, and Martha Kent, a diner waitress. The childless couple promptly adopted the infant Kal-El inside, giving him the name of "Clark Kent" and hiding his true origins from others and even Clark himself for most of his childhood. While traveling on the school bus at age 13, the bus drove off a bridge into a river. With the bus submerged, Clark determined to use his abilities in order to save the passengers by pushing the bus to safety. Numerous kids saw Clark do this, such as Lana Lang, his best friend and girlfriend, and Pete Ross, the school bully. Pete’s mother confronted Martha and Jonathan, but they defended Clark claiming there was nothing special about him. Back at their home, Jonathan told Clark that he had to hide his gifts from the world if he were to be safe, even if it meant letting people die, as not everybody will be as understanding as they are, but Clark questioned why he shouldn't help people if he can. Jonathon later showed Clark the starship he arrived to Earth in and told him that he was the answer to "are we alone in the universe". Clark owed it to himself to discover who he really is and the reason he was sent to Earth. At age 17, Clark was driving with his parents on a highway when a tornado swept through the area. People began abandoning their vehicles with Jonathan telling Clark to get his mother to safety. Clark realized he could help people with his abilities but his father told him not to use them, safeguarding his secret. Jonathon was subsequently swept away in the tornado and dying, lending much guilt to Clark. Finding himself Not long afterward, Clark followed Jonathan's bidding as well as following his own growing desire to find himself, leaving Smallville, Kansas in pursuit to find the reason why he was sent to Earth. He traveled across North America for years, easily surviving on the borders of civilization, so he could help if he ever came across others in need, and swiftly disappear if anyone became too inquisitive. Sixteen years after Jonathan's death, Clark was still on his journey and ended up getting himself such as a fisherman and a bartender. During this time he rescued people from a burning oil rig, a helicopter got clear before a huge explosion sent Clark flying unconscious into the water. Awaking shortly thereafter, Clark swam to the shore and skipped town. During his time as a bartender he overheard the military talking about a ship that had been found on an island. It was there on Ellesmere where he met Lois Lane, an intrepid female reporter who is there to write a story on the find for the Daily Planet. Clark and his boss escort her to the site, with Clark carrying her heavy bags. Clark then went to the site himself at night, away from the military. An interactive projection of Jor-El appeared and welcomed Clark, referring him by his birth name, Kal-El. Jor-El enlightens him of his heritage, why he was sent to Earth and the obligation to test the limits of his powers. The Scout ship then activated after thousands of years of dormancy and landed on a mountain top. Due to Jor-El's explanation, Clark was now finally able to accept his alien heritage as Kal-El, and embrace his powers, finally able to overcome his weakness of mental power suppression, and so he went outside and began to test the limits of his powers, gradually learning how to fly. Clark returned to Smallville and visited Martha after several years of being abroad. He described to her the explorations he went on and that he found the answers to the questions he had, before Lois Lane showed up at the farm with questions about Clark. Clark found Lois at the Smallville Cemetery over Jonathan's grave, where he told her that he died in order to protect Clark from the world. His sacrifice convinced her to not publish her story revealing him to the world. General Zod's arrival and surrender to humanity Meanwhile, General Zod, the maniacal Kryptonian military leader, sent a message to the people of Earth to hand over his missing citizen or suffer his wrath. Recognizing that he couldn't put people in danger after a discussion with a Smallville priest, Clark voluntarily handed himself into military custody wearing his new suit. Lois arrived shortly after wanting questions from Clark and was about to give him a name, but was interrupted by Dr. Hamilton and General Swanwick, who made their intentions regarding delivering Kal-El to General Zod clear. Shortly thereafter Faora-Ul arrived in a dropship for Kal-El, but she also unexpectedly requested for Lois to join them as well, much to the dismay of both Kal-El and Colonel Hardy. Once aboard the Black Zero starship, Kal-El came face to face with General Zod, who had him tied down, as the atmosphere aboard was replicating Krypton's, leaving Kal-El practically helpless, due to it rendering him unable to access his stores of solar energy. Zod's leading scientist Jax-Ur then proceeded to take some of Kal-El's blood, before Zod exposed him to mental probing. General Zod attempted to sway Kal-El to his side, requesting the location of the Kryptonian Growth Codex that Jor-El had sent with the latter to Earth. Kal-El, however, promptly refused to sacrifice his adopted planet, even if that meant restoring his native one. Escape and first battle Lois, however, had brought Jor-El's key aboard the ship and he helped her escape using an escape pod before changing the atmosphere for Kal-El to re-claim some strength to break free. Beating a hole in the ship for yellow sun rays to get through, Kal-El recuperated his full strength and had final words with Jor-El who encouraged him to save mankind. Kal-El then raced after Lois in the falling escape pod reaching her just before the pod exploded on impact. Kal-El's super hearing alerted him to General Zod, already at Kent Farm and threatening Martha. He flew over and attacked Zod. They subsequently collided into a gas station, which exploded. Zod's breather mask was damaged and all his senses overwhelmed him causing him to collapse. Faora and Nam-Ek followed and confronted Kal-El, with the pair outnumbering him, beating him to the ground and cautioning him that he won’t prevail. He was thrown through numerous buildings in Smallville by Faora, while Nam-Ek went to confront the incoming military forces. Before Faora could kill Colonel Hardy, Kal-El tackled her and eventually defeated them both. General Zod’s forces retreated back to space to begin their plans for terraforming Earth, while Kal-El flew home to check on his mother. Hardy then proclaimed that Kal-El was not their enemy. Battle of Metropolis Lois then told Kal-El that Jor-El’s AI gave her directions to use his starship against Zod’s, with Kal-El then promptly taking his infant starship over to the Northcom base, handing it over to Colonel Hardy, before flying to the Indian Ocean to destroy the World Engine that General Zod had unleashed. At the US Military Northcom base, General Swanwick gives a green light to the operation against Zod, with a soldier under his command telling him that the alien Kal-El (who has now been dubbed by others in the military as "Superman") and Colonel Hardy are on the way. The World Engine’s defenses attack Superman with many huge tentacles of molten-hot Liquid Geo, but he eventually manages to break through them, and destroy the World Engine by flying up the colossal gravity beam. Taking a few seconds to lie in direct sunlight to recover from the battle, Superman then flies to Metropolis on the other side of the planet, to stop General Zod who had unleashed his Black Zero starship upon the city at the same time. While Superman flies back, Colonel Hardy and Lois are under attack from General Zod, the latter attempting to shoot their plane out of the sky with the Scout Ship. Superman, however, returns right in time to collide with the Fortress and destroy its Genesis Chamber, much to Zod' dismay. The Fortress is thus swiftly brought down onto the ground in Metropolis, colliding with many skyscrapers in the process. Meanwhile, thanks to the efforts of Colonel Hardy and Dr. Hamilton, the Phantom Drive of Superman's infant starship is activated, and the plane successfully collides with the Black Zero. This creates a temporary Phantom Zone energy singularity that sucks in the Black Zero and the plane, including Faora, Nam-Ek, Tor-An, and Car-Vex, but also Colonel Hardy and Dr. Hamilton. At this time, Superman emerges from the crashed Fortress, and flies up, just in time to catch Lois, who had fallen from the place shortly before the collision. Due to him also having been once exposed to Phantom Zone energy, Superman struggles to escape the tremendous gravitational pull of the singularity, which he ultimately succeeds in doing. He then proceeds to put Lois beside Perry White and Jenny Jarwich and in a moment of adrenaline, Lois kissed Superman, who responded, before confronting General Zod, who was revealed to still be on Earth, having been too far from the singularity. Superman went to face Zod, who speculated how he could have built a new Krypton out of Earth if Superman hadn't betrayed them. Vowing to avenge his people on Superman, Zod promised that he would take away all whom Superman loved, and then attacked him. Superman, seeing no other way to reason with Zod, Superman vowed that he would stop him no matter what it took he fought General Zod in the intense and incredibly destructive Battle of Metropolis, destroying buildings, vehicles and property, including the Wayne Financial Building brought down by Zod's heat vision, much to the dismay of Bruce Wayne, who witnessed it occur from the streets. The battle intensified once Zod managed to master his heat vision and Superman struggled to counter the Kryptonian's superior experience and skill in honing his abilities. Zod efficiently gained the upper hand in the fight, before ripping off his armor and finally grasping his flying ability, now on even footing with Superman. The two then clashed climactically in mid-air, with Zod hurling Superman through numerous skyscrapers, and tackling him into outer space, destroying a Wayne Enterprises satellite in the process. The two mighty aliens then crashed in Metropolis Central Station, where General Zod, feeling that he was beginning to lose the fight, opened his heat vision on innocent civilians. Superman grappled Zod, trying to divert the latter's heat vision away, before resorting to breaking Zod's neck to save the civilians, causing him to scream in brief trauma. However, he was then consoled by Lois, who had just gotten to the station by that time. Life after the Black Zero Event Early superhero and journalism careers In his first days of openly being a superhero, Superman took to dealing with natural disasters, crime and humanitarian missions, but he notably avoided getting involved in controversial political disputes, such as wars between the nations of Earth. As such, a massive silvery statue of Superman is built in Metropolis, and online message boards are created, with numerous people from all over the world using them as a means to ask Superman for help, regarding both trivial and severe matters. At one point, Superman also prevents a missile strike, rescues victims from a building explosion, and prevents a devastating earthquake. As Clark Kent, he is quickly promoted from just a junior reporter, quickly rising through the ranks at the Daily Planet after promptly displaying exceptional insights and investigative skills, which leads to Perry White assigning him bigger and bigger stories for the Planet. After only a year working as a reporter, Clark had already twice received the Elliot Prize for Investigative Journalism, being the first of any of the reporters on the Daily Planet staff to earn such prestige so quickly. Superman committee established At the same time, a number of survivalist militias also emerge, who believe Superman to be the advance scout for a future, larger alien invasion of Earth. Businessman Lex Luthor, whose prolific philanthropic efforts made some claim that he is as much a hero to Metropolis as Superman, claimed that the alien superhero is a figure too mysterious and controversial for him to be a good comparison. US Senator Finch believed that before an ultimate decision regarding Superman is made, the issue of his existence must be approached objectively, and she, therefore, advocated for the creation of a committee to study and learn more about Superman. Bangladesh floods One day, Lois and Clark swiftly exit the Daily Planet newsroom, as Lois heads off to expose the corrupt Hanford Technologies CEO Mark Hanford, while Clark heads off to help with floods in Bangladesh as Superman, warning Lois to be safe in his absence. Rescuing a train Some time later, Superman saves a runaway train full of passengers. As he uncouples the cars, he runs out of track and has to settle the front cars on the desert by lifting them up. Criticism increases Saving Lois at Nairomi After Lois is kidnapped by the Nairomian warlord Amajagh (who also had his bodyguard Anatoli Knyazev murder CIA agent Jimmy Olsen), and threatened with death, Superman flies to her rescue, flying right through the incoming missiles and drone of the CIA on the way. Moments before Superman's arrival, Anatoli Knyazev and his men murder Amajagh's men, and Knyazev then proceeds to mutilate the corpses with his flamethrower, making it appear as if they had been murdered by Superman's heat vision. This incident generates quite a bit of controversy throughout the world, with Senator Finch and her committee, after interviewing Nairomian Kahina Ziri, hold Superman responsible for what occurred in the North African desert. "End of Love Affair with Man in the Sky?" Clark is assigned by Perry to travel to Gotham City and cover the Metropolis vs Gotham football game (being given the headline "Underdog Dreams Dashed - 10 Yards Between Gotham and Glory") when the news reports on Wallace Keefe vandalizing the Superman Statue by spray-painting the words "False God" in red on the chest before he is arrested. Clark is visibly saddened about this hate crime. Perry, while also quite upset, gives Jenny the headline "End of Love Affair With Man In the Sky?" Visiting Gotham He first visits Kahina Ziri's apartment complex, but is told by her neighbors that she left some time ago. One of the neighbors, an old man, claims that Kahina made the right choice by leaving Gotham, and recommends that Clark leave soon as well before the night, unless Clark wishes to run into the infamous Batman. Dismayed at this news of brutal terror-based vigilantism, Clark heads back. Conflict with Perry At a staff meeting shortly after his return from Gotham, Clark begins his pursuit of Batman by bringing up his repeated targets in the poor areas of Gotham and alliance with the local GCPD, which earns him mockery from Perry, who also asks if whether or not he began work on the football story he assigned him to. Clark insists that this story is worth printing as it shows that the common civilian matters and that the press has zero tolerance for Batman and other vigilantes. At that point, Lois enters the meeting, displaying a bullet found in Nairobi, letting Perry know that she intended to fly to Washington DC to further investigate, and briefly making eye contact with Clark. Somewhat upset, Clark confronts Lois shortly thereafter, inquiring as to why she had kept the bullet a secret from him until now, also remarking that her "digging up snakes" is bound to be dangerous. She responds stating that this is exactly why she didn't tell Clark. As Lois walks away, Clark has a worried expression on his face, but he is promptly approached by Perry, who states that some influential billionaire had insisted that Clark be the reporter to attend and cover his Metropolis library fundraiser event. Meeting Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor While observing other arriving guests at Luthor's fundraiser, Clark has his attention swiftly attracted by Gotham City billionaire Bruce Wayne, just as the later exits his car. While listening to Lex Luthor's greeting speech, Clark's super-hearing quickly picks up on the voice of Alfred Pennyworth, coming from Bruce Wayne's earpiece. Clark notices Bruce sneaking away from the crowd, as per Alfred's instructions. Hence, a suspicious Clark is quick to use his reporter status to interview Bruce Wayne, as soon as the latter returns, asking Bruce about his position regarding Batman. At that precise moment, however, they are abruptly interrupted by Lex Luthor, who enthusiastically introduces himself and invites Bruce to visit the LexCorp Industries research and development facilities. However, Mercy Graves comes up and lets Lex know that a governor wants to speak to him. The Superman Question After saving the Mexican girl, Superman descends into the crowd of people in Díos de los Muertos apparel, and the Mexicans all surround and stretch out their hands towards him, eager to touch the godlike alien. As the days go by, Superman continues his heroic career, notably saving a family from a flooded house, rescuing Russian astronauts from a rocket that collapsed during launch, and towing a half-sunken steamship through Arctic ice. Meanwhile, however, the world continues responding to Superman and what his existence means to the world, with the media referring to it as "The Superman Question". The question sparks quite a bit of controversy worldwide, with many being quick to express their opinions. Shortly thereafter, Clark calls his mother, Martha Kent. Not having it in him to tell her about his problems right away, he instead asks her why Jonathan had never left Kansas. A bit confused, Martha says that this was so because her late husband had felt that he was "already there", and he thus had no need to travel. Clark sighs, saying that he wished things were simple. Bat Brand of Justice The next day at work, Clark comes across an online page of a Gotham Free Press article, on how being branded by Batman is a death sentence among Gotham City prison inmates, with there having been 18 reports of people getting branded with "bat-brands" by the ruthless vigilante. He becomes angry. Second conflict with Perry Shortly thereafter, Clark is confronted by Perry, who is furious with him for having not covered the Metropolis football match or Lex Luthor's fundraiser for the Metropolis Library. Clark argues by saying that the press has the responsibility of showing integrity and exposing Batman for the criminal that he is, bringing up the fact that the Daily Planet had an upstanding reputation for displaying such character at its foundation. Investigating Cesar Santos Clark travels to Gotham City once more, intent on learning more regarding Santos' murder. When unable to obtain information from the penitentiary, Clark comes across Santos' girlfriend, and promptly interviews her. Adriana angrily complains about Batman's brutal methods, claiming that one man deciding who gets to live cannot be justice. An infuriated Clark thus decides to take a more direct approach to dealing with Batman, this time as Superman. Meeting Batman That evening, while Batman was intercepting Lex Luthor's men transporting Kryptonite, Superman interrupted the chase, damaging the Batmobile after Batman tried running him down, and again when Superman tore the doors off. With Cesar Santos' death being the last straw, Superman threatens the Dark Knight, warning him to give up his crusade, to ignore the Bat-Signal the next time it lights up, and that he should consider Superman's warning mercy. As he turned to leave, Batman countered with a threat of his own, expressing his determination to make the godlike alien "bleed". Not impressed with Batman's threat, Superman flew off, while Batman promptly drove back to the Batcave in the damaged Batmobile. Hearing in Washington Right before the trial, Kahina Ziri approaches Senator Finch, revealing herself to be an actress that Lex had hired to lie, so Finch resolves to mention this in the trial as well, intending to clear his name. When Superman enters, Finch starts out by pointing out to him a witness/victim of Superman's actions, Wallace Keefe, who lost his legs during the Black Zero Event. After suddenly noticing a distasteful note left for her by Lex Luthor, a startled Finch stops in mid-speech, before a bomb explodes, killing her, Graves, Keefe, and everyone else present, except for the invulnerable but mortified Superman. Right after the explosion, Superman stays to help, carrying an injured woman to safety. He begins to look around him and sees dozens of dead bodies and injured civilians, he begins swelling with guilt, and throws a glance of sorrow at Lois, before launching off into the air. Superman would later go into exile for days. Dawn of Justice Lex Luthor's ultimatum Superman returns to Metropolis and rescues Lois just in the nick of time after Lex Luthor throws her off of the roof, and flies back up to deal with him. Superman angrily vows to bring the malevolent super genius in "without breaking him". However, Luthor confidently retorts by revealing that he knows Superman's secret identity, and proceeds to tell Clark about his views on both him and God, stating that "God is tribal." Lex then reveals that his father, Alexander Luthor Sr., while seemingly affable in public, was egregiously cruel and evil behind closed doors, abusing his defenseless son with both fists and "abominations." Due to there having been no "man in the sky" to protect Lex from this unjust suffering, he subsequently became a misotheist, burdened by the theological problem of evil and concluding that power cannot be innocent. Hence, Superman, due to his own godlike power, has the same problem of evil applicable to him in Lex's eyes, and Lex is now determined to prove this to the world by having him engage Batman in a mortal duel, the "greatest gladiator match in the history of the world." When Superman attempts to refuse, Lex reveals that the former's mother, Martha Kent, is held in captivity in a top-secret location by Knyazev. An incredibly furious Superman seems ready to destroy Lex with his heat vision, but the latter says that if Superman attempts to kill him or fly away, Martha will be burned alive, and the only way for Superman to save her, is to fly to Gotham City, fight and kill Batman in a vicious duel to the death. Superman is shaken up by the power Lex's ultimatum hold over him, since despite his disapproval of Batman's morally gray methods, Superman recognizes him as a good man, so this conflicts with his morality even more than the murder of General Zod. Hence, Superman flies to Lois and briefly explains the situation to her, but then adding that he will instead try to convince Batman to help. Duel with Batman Superman arrives at Gotham, where Batman is waiting for him. Superman tries to reason with Batman, beginning with an apology for wrongly accusing him of being a criminal and trying to explain what Luthor has done, but accidentally triggers a pair of sonic emitters, stopping him in his tracks. After a few agonizing moments, Superman rips a manhole cover in half and flings the scraps of metal into the emitters, destroying them. Now visibly frustrated, Superman raises his voice. Batman refuses to listen, so Superman gives him a light shove, sending him tumbling across the concrete for over sixty feet. Batman activates another trap: 50-caliber machine gun turrets. Superman cowers for a moment, then stands tall and levitates, using his heat vision to incinerate the turrets. As Batman regains his footing, a very angry Superman grabs him and hurls him down the street. The Dark Knight rises to his feet again. Frustrated at his adversary's resilience, Superman grabs hold of Batman and pushes him through the side of a building. Emerging through the roof, Superman violently hurls Batman right through the Bat-Signal. He again tries to reason with Batman, telling him that if he wanted to kill him he could easily and would have done so already. Batman gets up and activates a smoke grenade before tossing it towards his opponent. Superman dashes through the lead-smoke cloud to find Batman gone. Now behind him, Batman fires a round from his riot gun, only for his opponent to catch it. However, it releases a cloud of Kryptonite gas, severely weakening him. Batman taunts him as he writhes in pain. Superman attacks Batman, who easily counters his attacks thanks to his superior fighting skills. Batman kicks him against a skylight and stomps down on him, crashing through it and onto the top floor of the building. Superman tries to regain his footing, but Batman gives him no such respite. He beats his foe senseless, flooring him with a powerful left cross. Superman lies dazed for a few moments, then gets up. Batman lashes out with a kick, but Superman catches it and tosses him through the wall. The two combatants charge. Batman swings Superman back against the wall and pummels him repeatedly, but Superman begins to shrug off the effects of the Kryptonite, rendering Batman's assault ineffective. Batman eyes his steel glove and backs away nervously, knowing the tables have turned yet again. Superman shoves him down through the floor into an abandoned men's room. Batman attempts to get up, but even in his weakened state, Superman easily overpowers him. Getting a hold on Batman's armored suit, he picks him up and flings him through several rows of urinal partitions. Batman, in extreme pain, lifts his head and loads another round in his gun. Superman races to beat him to it and leaps into the air, fist drawn back. He takes the next Kryptonite round full in the face, but not before landing a brutal punch to the side of Batman's head, shattering his helmet and sending him flying through the air. Batman recovers from the shock and gets to his feet, while Superman rolls over helplessly, engulfed by the toxic mist. Batman wrenches a sink basin from its porcelain pedestal and brings it down hard on the back of Superman's head, momentarily knocking him unconscious. Defeat Batman carries Superman to a staircase balcony and drops him over the edge, leaving him to plummet a dozen stories to the floor below, flat on his back. After grappling to the floor, Batman binds Superman's feet with a cable, then slams a button on his grapnel gun, pulling Superman towards him. He uses the momentum to swing Superman around like a yo-yo, smashing through a ring of concrete pillars. A defeated and badly wounded Superman is then placed on his back and taunted by Batman, who claims that Superman was not only never a God, but never even a man, before cutting the latter's cheek with his Kryptonite spear and raised it for the killing blow. Superman, realizing that he is about to die, implores Batman to save "Martha". Batman, confused and shocked by this, pauses his killing blow, and yells at Superman, demanding to know why the latter had uttered that name. At that moment, Lois finally arrives, and explains to Batman that it is the name of Superman's mother. Batman then realizes his own hypocrisy - while he had previously accused Superman of having the potential to become malevolently corrupted, Batman has ultimately become malevolently corrupted himself, as he has abandoned is no-kill rule following the Black Zero Event, and had allowed Lex Luthor to manipulate him into becoming the abominable killer of Martha's son, much like how Joe Chill had orphaned Batman himself, the son of another Martha. Hence, Batman hurls the spear away in disgust, horrified at what he had almost become, and he is now prepared to help Superman, whom he now better understands, while also redeeming himself in his own eyes in the process. The two then converse, and Superman reveals Luthor's plan, meaning that his mother is losing time every second. A repentant Batman, now finally seeing Superman for the selfless person that he is, tells him that they should work together to stop Luthor, the true enemy that had been deviously manipulating both of them this whole time. After some persuasion from Batman, Superman resolves to confront Luthor, while Batman promises him that he will save Martha. Confronting Luthor again Having partially recovered from the Kryptonite gas and exposure, Superman flies to the Scout Ship and smashes through the starship's hull to face Lex Luthor, letting the latter know that Martha is safe, Batman is now an ally, and that Lex had lost. The malevolent supergenius, however was unfazed by the news of his failed plan, claims not to know how to lose, and he is quick to finally reveal his far more grandiose and extreme contingency plan - a massive hybrid Kryptonian monster grown from General Zod's corpse and Lex's blood, Superman's "Doomsday". Battle against Doomsday Doomsday then proceeds to swiftly break out of the ship's birthing matrix, loudly roars, and hurls a monstrous punch at Lex, but Superman intervenes and catches his massive fist before beating him back into the network of cables. Doomsday catches Superman in his giant hands and leaps out of the Scout Ship and pummels Superman, sending him hurtling into Heroes Park. As Superman struggles to his feet, Doomsday lands nearby. He eyes the face of his enemy in the giant Superman Statue, then looks down at the puny real-life version standing below. Doomsday's strength and durability surpass that of Superman, but the Man of Steel defiantly holds his own, managing to send the monster flying into a building. Doomsday is then shot at by military helicopters, but his body takes it all, adapting and only becoming more durable, generating a huge electrical shockwave. In desperation, Superman tackles Doomsday and takes him into space. The US President intends to shoot the alien monster down with a megaton nuke , and it is carried out, despite the protests of Calvin Swanwick. Superman defiantly holds Doomsday in place as he sees the missile approach, determined to have the monster destroyed. The resulting explosion is so gigantic, that Batman can clearly see it from Earth's surface. Doomsday's body lands on the abandoned Stryker's Island, but he is far from dead, as the megaton nuclear explosion seems to have only made the monster stronger and more durable still, with its body once again regenerating, and generating another electrical shockwave, considerably larger and stronger than the first. Incapacitated in space In the meantime, Superman, appearing undead, and withered, is floating in space being extremely weakened by the nuclear missile blast that knocked him out completely. Soon, however, he is exposed to radiation from earth's yellow sun, which reinvigorates Superman's cells, returning him back to life and full power. He then proceeds to fly back towards the Earth's surface, and joins in the battle against Doomsday by flying towards the monster, sending Doomsday flying into a gas tank, generating a massive inferno explosion. The Trinity Unites Superman and a recently arrived Wonder Woman then proceed to jointly attack Doomsday in tandem, while Batman tries to expose the monster to Kryptonite, which would exploit its only known vulnerability. Wonder Woman soon manages to cut off the monster's right arm, but that only results in a sharp bony protrusion growing back in its place. In the meantime, Lois is in Gotham City, trying to retrieve the Kryptonite spear from underwater. Superman is able to hear her drowning, and flies off to rescue her, retrieving the spear in the process, while Wonder Woman manages to temporarily restrain Doomsday with her indestructible lasso. Superman sees that the only way to stop Doomsday will end up putting his life at risk, since brute force alone had been proven ineffective. Hence, he says a tender goodbye to Lois with a kiss, before taking hold of the spear and flying back to the battle scene, exposed to the substance himself in the process, though he manages to temporarily bypass the Kryptonite's weakening effects with a tremendous amount of willpower and determination. Self Sacrifice A weakened Superman returns back to the battle and stabs Doomsday with the Kryptonite spear, causing more electrical energy than ever before to pour out of Doomsday, making Wonder Woman momentarily lose her footing. This allowed Doomsday to slip out of the Lasso of Truth binding him, and plunge his bony arm protrusion into Superman's chest. Superman, however, is undeterred by his impending death, and defiantly fights against the incredible pain, plunging the spear deeper into Doomsday's chest with his last ounce of strength, as well as letting the monster's bony protrusion sink deeper into his own chest, thereby allowing the spear to pierce Doomsday's body completely. The two give one final joint bellow of agony, before their lifeless bodies hit the ground. Superman's unexpectedly human sacrifice visibly shell-shocks and saddens Batman, and he promptly retrieves Superman's lifeless body, enveloping him in his own cape, and giving the body to Wonder Woman, who gently places it on the ground, seconds before the arrival of a devastated Lois Lane. Lois proceeds to cradle weep over her fallen beloved, as Batman and Wonder Woman stand next to her in respectful lamenting silence, though Batman in particular, as he becomes guilt-ridden about being so devastatingly wrong about Superman and wasting 2 Kryptonite gas grenades on him, while they might have instead been used to kill Doomsday without having to lose Superman. Funeral In order to posthumously cover up Superman's secret identity, Lois reports that Clark Kent has also died during the heroes' devastating battle with Doomsday, having chosen to carry out his duties as a reporter and cover it, and ultimately getting caught in the crossfire. Perry White prints a special edition of the Daily Planet paper in honor of Superman and his efforts (still thankful to the superhero for saving him during the Black Zero Event), headlining it "Superman Dead: Night of Terror, Morning of Loss". Superman is honorably buried in Heroes Park in Metropolis, in a grandiose military ceremony, with Superman's black coffin being wrapped in the US flag. Afterwards, Swanwick is presented the folded American flag. So many devastated people attend the citywide funeral, that all of the usually crowded and busy streets of Metropolis are empty. However, the coffin in Metropolis is actually empty, as the funeral of Clark Kent is held in Smallville, with Father Leone presiding over it and delivering a eulogy, and with Bruce, Diana, Perry, Jenny, and Lois in attendance, along with Pete Ross and Lana Lang. An after function is held at Martha's home. Lois is in Clark's bedroom when Martha enters. She gives Lois a letter, revealing to her that Clark had intended to propose to her. Still at the cemetery, Bruce expresses his guilt and remorse over his crimes against Superman, and by extension, the world. He and Diana share a conversation about bringing the other metahumans together, in order to fill the void left after Superman's death, and protect Earth in case a threat of that scale ever should arise, honoring Superman's heroic sacrifice. Posthumous Events Metahuman emergence and Task Force X Even after his death, Superman still continues to have a profound impact on the world - Bruce Wayne recruiting a team to protect the world in his honor and Amanda Waller setting up Task Force X, a team to handle threats a being such as himself would have dealt with. Relationships Category:Hero Category:Justice League